Parents Stay Engaged with Your Kids On Social Media During this Pandemic
William Jackson, M.Ed. My Quest to Teach #MyQuestToTeach
My Quest To Teach
The rise of COVID once again escalates the levels of anxiety, concerns, fears and emotional changes
that affect children
in many ways. The potential closing of schools again, continued social distancing, wearing masks and even cities closing stores and social gathering places are ravaging social engagement. Parents must think of the impact on their kids that thrive on social contact and building relationships. Youth hear what is going on, in many cases feel powerless to influence the
things in their lives.
Parents have shared their concerns many times about their children on social media, being online too much before the pandemic. Because of social isolation, the explosion of digital engagement multiplied by the number of days in
isolation and the only outlets are digital.
Parents must focus on their children’s digital engagement because there may be signs of mental stress, anxiety and emotional tribulations. Sharing their feelings is not always easy for youth and even though at times are open areas of information, most times it seems useless banter, they project their feelings, ideas, emotions, and mental well-being through behaviors in multiple ways. The jokes now about how many babies will be born in nine months because of isolation, the additional concern will be how many youth, teens and young adults will be
social media and digitally tethered to their phones.
Tech is a youth’s connection for social and even mental health stability. “The cell phones that youth are using can be their best friends or their worst enemy depending on the content they create,” yes I said content they create.
An eye-opening event for me is having 3rd, 4th and even
2nd grade teachers following me on social platforms. When they tell you they are following you, monitoring your actions and behaviors it rings bells to be a positive influence and a positive resource or source of information. Many teachers experience this and must act accordingly. There will be new issues with the engagement of kids
being social after pandemic isolation.
What parents may not realize are the affects now what their kids may be going through mentally and the content they are creating and sharing. The access to social media should be a tool for parents to have additional access to their children. Digital tools and platforms enable parents to connect to their children when they’re away from home and out of sight. Now that they’re at home and in sight how can digital tools bring about positive engagement
and interaction?
Parents should establish a common understanding with their kids that they are both accountable for communicating with each other and encourage the sharing of content that builds stronger
relationships not digital distractions and further separation.
Children as young as 3 years old are developing skills not heard of 5 years ago with technology. Many toddlers have the fine motor skills of adults when they can Text, Tweet, Facebook, Instagram, Tic Tok and WhatsApp even before they have
formalized verbal communication.
Parents need to stay engaged with their kids online to prevent cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking, sexting, stalking and other dangers. As a teacher I have been threated by students because the student is in violation
of school policies and refuse to get off their cell phones.
Students have been in physical fights in schools because of the use of profanity, threats and gossip that makes allowing students to go to the bathroom dangerous. The violent reactions by youth and young adults in schools even the mention of taking phones away is disturbing. Phones that they did not even purchase nor
do they make monthly payment.
Children are growing more in love with their digital devices and access to social sites than they are to their humanity and even their families. More and more children are their parents so they (children) can get their digital “fix” either from Twitter, Instagram, or Gaming. What will happen in 5 to 10 years when these children are employed, when they are responsible for keeping order, when they are leaders in careers that
require their attention and focus?
Studies will need to be performed and observations taken place as more and more students have access to wireless technology and these students grow into adults. The results may show that parents need to teach their children how to use tech and take breaks from their devices so the can treat people humanely and with humanity not as
unemotional extensions of their digital devices.
Parents are finding that their children maybe increasingly distant, unemotional or extreme in their emotions by lashing out or showing violent reactions when disciplined about their phones. These are difficult times and parents must make sure their children have a balance of none online activities and family engagement. The results could be devastating for the futures of children when they find it challenging to work with others, communicate their ideas
and even build friendships and relationships with others.
William is the digital innovator for his brand My Quest To Teach using the hashtag #MyQuestToTeach sharing his journey teaching, mentoring,
community activism and community collaborations.